iPhone users are getting unexpected push notifications from the Wallet app promoting Apple’s new movie, F1: The Movie. These ads, which offered a limited-time Fandango discount for two tickets, don’t really have any good reason to be pushed to you.

The main reason people are mad is that these notifications appear to go against Apple’s own rules about promotional push notifications. Apple’s guidelines clearly say that push notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing unless users have specifically agreed to receive them.

According to the rules, this consent should be given through clear language in the app’s interface, and users must also have an easy way to opt out of these messages. However, even our own news editor received an F1: The Movie promotion through his Wallet app. Unlike promotional notifications from the Apple Store or other apps, there’s no way to turn off these alerts.

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The Wallet app is there to manage personal finances, which makes the situation even more annoying. Turning off all Wallet notifications is not a realistic solution for most people because they need these alerts for important financial updates, like payment confirmations or declined transactions. People depend on Wallet notifications for crucial money-related updates, so getting unsolicited ads feels like an invasion of a vital app.

Regardless of whether the movie is good or the ad is for something worthwhile, every user should actively sign up for ads. Anytime you’re getting sent deals that you haven’t personally asked to receive, that’s called spam. So, in essence, Apple Wallet is spamming customers to sell more tickets for a movie.

The difference between these company-made ads and typical unauthorized Wallet activity is huge. Usually, suspicious Wallet notifications are linked to fraud or stolen card information, which users are used to watching out for. Getting spam from something like this feels like a violation of trust.

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Overall, it likely wouldn’t have been as offensive if it weren’t for such an important app. Apple hasn’t released any responses to this, but all we need is some way to opt out of spam. Texts and offers should include a way to opt out or unsubscribe from all future promotions, but it doesn’t seem like the case with Apple’s Wallet ad for F1: The Movie.

Via: MacRumors